Moving Down the Road
by TheBlindMage
Summary: The Witch has been defeated and the OZ is at peace, but not everything is back to normal. DG, Azkadelia, her parents, and her friends must help each other on the long road to recovery. A series of OneShots. Rated just in case.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Tin Man or any characters, places, etc. located therein.

DG was curled up in an armchair by the huge fireplace in one of the many great halls in the Ice Palace, reading, when her Other Side father entered the room with a large box and walked up to her. She glanced up at him, mildly surprised when he said "Here you go, Deeg." and held out the box to her.

She looked back at him, a bit puzzled. "What is it, Popsicle?"

"They're your sketchbooks and your drawin's, baby girl." he explained. "Your mom and I got 'em from some o' those little Muchkin fellas who found 'em in one of their villages. They must have got swept right through the storm, all in one piece. We figgered you an' your sister would like goin' through 'em together."

DG looked at Azkedelia, seated by herself in another armchair, pensive and withdrawn as always. She turned back to the man she had always seen as her father, smiling. "Thank you so much, Pops. I didn't think I'd ever see these again." She pulled him into a huge hug. He grinned over her shoulder.

DG turned from her father, box in her arms, and walked to her sister's side. She still had

trouble believing that this was real, that she actually had her sister back, that she was home. Everything seemed too wonderful and strange to be anything but some elaborate dream. Her father and mother from the Other Side were still living with her in the Palace, on her insistence. They refused any royal title, and instead asked that everyone call them Mom and Pops, including Cain, much to his embarrassment.

She smiled. Cain. He was something else, all right. Ever since her return, he had stuck to her like her own shadow. She wasn't allowed to go anywhere or do anything without him at least being in the room. It was getting really annoying, and she thought he was taking the whole 'Official Bodyguard to the Princess' thing a bit too far, but he was having fun, so she let him. The only reason he wasn't here now was because he was visiting his son in the little town set up in the woods by the former rebels. Secretly, though she always missed him, she was glad he visited his son often; if he was here, he'd be shooting furtive suspicious glares at her big sister the whole time.

Her smile faded as she thought of Azkadelia. It seemed like, though she was obviously herself again, no one trusted her. The palace servants gave her a wide berth, the citizens of the OZ were almost openly hostile, and even Raw and Cain were nervous around her. The Queen and Ahamo had welcomed her back with open arms, but they were almost always out in the OZ, showing themselves to citizens and helping put things to rights. The way most people treated Azkadelia saddened DG. Couldn't they see that Az was back to normal? Couldn't they understand that she felt horrible about what she had done, and that she hadn't even been in control of what she was doing? It seemed like the only person other than her absent parents who had really forgiven her was DG. Well, Glitch was friendly to her, but that was only because he couldn't remember who she was half of the time. So DG spent every moment she could with her sister, hugging her and talking to her and trying to reassure her that she really was forgiven. Her Mom and Pops, too, Emily and Hank, understood that Az wasn't wicked anymore, that she was hurting and needed to be forgiven before she could forgive herself. They tried to set up as much time for DG to spend alone with her as they could, hence this sketchbook stunt. Smiling again at the prospect of some true alone time with Az, Dg touched her lightly on the shoulder.

Azkadelia looked up, startled, her eyes cloudy with memory. She smiled timidly up at DG, and DG grinned back, showing her the brimming box she held. Az looked at her quizzically, waiting for an explanation. Instead, DG balanced the box on the arm of the chair and tugged on her sister's sleeve.

"Come on," she said. "I want to show you something."

Azkadelia rose from her chair and followed DG out of the room, shaking her head at the sight of her sister literally bouncing with anticipation of whatever it was she wanted her to see. She followed her through the winding hallways and passages of the Palace until they stopped in front of a familiar door- DG's room. Pushing open the door, DG went in, crossing to the huge bed and setting the box down on it. Then she sat beside it and patted the bed next to her, inviting Azkadelia to join her. Still slightly uncertain around her little sister, she sat down carefully, not too close, and DG promptly scooted over right next to her and laid her head on Azkadelia's shoulder.

She had to smile. Despite her caution around her younger sister, she really loved DG. She was still trying to believe that it was really all over, that she was free and safe and most of all that her little sister was alive and well and had somehow forgiven her for everything she'd done. Every time she saw DG, she marveled at the way she could still love her big sister. She had come back from the dead and, days later, found the strength to save her from her prison of fifteen long annuals. She had seen right past her hard exterior and realized that she was still herself in there, and had figured out how to pull her out using nothing more than her heart. Azkadelia honestly hadn't expected anyone to accept her again, least of all the sister she had killed. She didn't like to see the way that DG still blamed herself for everything that had happened. None of it was her fault, and Azkadelia took every opportunity to try to show her that.

Turning now to look at DG, still leaning against her, she kissed the top of her head and asked "So, Deeg. What did you want me to see?"

DG sat up and reached for the box, pulling it on to her lap. She pulled out a small, beat-up brown book and showed it to Az. "It's one of my sketchbooks," she said. "Mom and Pops got all of my sketchbooks and drawings and paintings from some of the Munchkins. They all seem to have made it through the storm ok. Pops thought it'd be nice if we could just kinda go through them together. I thought now would be a good time, since Cain is gone and we can talk without him breathing down our necks with that 'I'm-Big-And-Scary-Don't-Mess-With-Me' look on his face." She imitated the face for her sister's benefit, and Azkadelia cracked up. DG started laughing, too, leaning on her again. She was happy to hear Azkadelia laugh- she didn't do laugh enough.

Eventually, they calmed down, and DG handed the sketchbook she was holding to Az.

"Here, go on, open it." she said, sounding for all the world like a little kid giving someone a present.

Just to tease her, Azkadelia didn't open right away, instead asking, "Where did you like to draw? What did you draw?"

Dg made a face at her. "If you would open the book, you'd _know_."Seeing the book was not being opened, she sighed and answered the question. "I'd go somewhere quiet, usually in my room or out back on the big swing in the oak, and do one of two things. I'd either just sit, start moving my pencil, and see what came out, or I'd sketch things from my dreams."

Azkadelia looked at her. "From your _dreams_?"

DG sounded defensive. "Yes. Just open it, ok?"

Grinning slightly, Azkadelia opened the sketchbook and gasped. There, on the first page, was an amazingly accurate sketch of Central City. She turned the page, aware that DG was leaning on her shoulder again, watching her. On the back of the first page was a drawing of a bright lantern in a dark place, and Azkadelia shuddered and looked at the next page. This one held a perfect rendition of the queen.

She turned to DG. "You drew these, Deeg? While you couldn't remember anything about the OZ?"

Dg nodded. "I didn't know what the drawings were. I just thought they were things I'd made up, or random images my brain threw in my dreams."

Slightly stunned, Azkadelia turned back to the sketchbook. She turned the pages one by one, seeing picture after picture of the queen, stone markers by the side of the Brick Route, travel storms, the Ice Palace, her little dancing doll, Central City, the Mystic Man, Toto, even a Munchkin village. The last page held a beautifully colored drawing of Fenaqua, correct down to the last detail. Closing the book, Azkadelia handed it back to DG, who replaced it with another one. They went on this way for some time, Dg handing Azkadelia a new sketchbook or painting or loose drawing whenever she was done with the last one. They went through them together, talking ad laughing and remembering. Azkadelia told DG what was in each drawing, and DG tried to remember, and if she couldn't she just listened to Az explain it.

Finally, there was only one sketchbook left, the largest of all of them. Holding this one on her lap, Azkadelia noticed that DG had shifted a little, and was now curled up against her side. She reached over and put an arm around DG's shoulders, hugging her close.

DG smiled and, reaching over, opened the sketchbook for Azkadelia.

Looking at it, Azkadelia's eyes widened in shock. There, on the page, was a drawing of a young girl with dark hair and eyes, smiling down at a younger girl by her side. Light glowed from their clasped hands. Azkadelia stared at her younger self for a moment, then turned the page with trembling hands. This page held the same girl, this time skipping a rock over the lake at Fenaqua. Az kept turning pages. Every one held herself in a different scene- helping DG make her doll fly, gathering apples, laughing with her mother and father, crouched over some new thing DG wanted her to see. The last picture was an incredibly sweet drawing of young Azkadelia and DG hugging. Shaken, Azkadelia closed the book gently and looked down, straight into her sister's ever-surprised blue eyes. She couldn't speak. DG, realizing this, spoke instead.

"That was what I drew most often. I saw her all the time in my dreams, and my pencil seemed to always want to draw her. I called her the Dancing Princess. She was almost my imaginary friend, I guess. I felt like I knew her." DG's earnest gaze fixed her sister to the spot. "I didn't even remember you," she added quietly, "and I missed you. I missed you so much."

Azkadelia choked up. Still unable to speak, she just hugged her little sister tighter. DG returned the hug, sitting up a little so she could. They just sat like that for awhile, before Azkadelia whispered "I missed you, too, Deeg. More than I can say, I think. I didn't even really know what was going on most of the time, but the one thing I never forgot was you. I'm so, so glad you're back."

She felt DG nod against her shoulder. After that, they didn't speak. There was no need for words. It was enough that they were together again. And nothing could hurt them now.

Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

DG stood outside the queen's bedroom, mentally preparing herself to enter. This was one of the few times her mother was present in the Palace, and she had an important question. She pushed the door open quietly to see her mother reading on her bed.

"Mother? May I…um…ask you something?" DG approached her mother slowly, holding her sister's hand tightly. She had asked Azkadelia to come with her for this, and of course she had said yes. The two of them had grown incredibly close over the past few weeks, redeveloping the bond they had shared as kids.

Queen Annemairya of the House of Gale set aside the book she was reading and looked at her younger daughter curiously. "Yes, my angel? What is it?"

DG swallowed. Azkadelia squeezed her hand comfortingly, and DG threw a grateful smile her way. "I wanted to ask…if you could take your magic off of my memories." The words came out in a rush.

The queen looked surprised, then concerned. "Are you sure, dear? Do you think you're ready?"

DG glanced up at Azkadelia for a moment before nodding. "Yes. I want to remember everything again. I'm tired of having five years of blankness in my head. I want those years back." The queen didn't answer right away. Afraid she had somehow said something wrong, DG looked at the floor.

Queen Anne (as she was commonly called) crossed to DG's side and lifted her chin gently. "If this is what you want, I can do that right now." Lavender eyes peered seriously into ice-blue. Ice-blue eyes met lavender squarely. The queen nodded, and placed one warm hand on DG's forehead. DG tightened her grip on her sister's hand unconsciously. Anne closed her eyes and concentrated. Her brow furrowed for a moment, and then she stepped back, her eyes alight with the magic she had reabsorbed from DG's mind. DG looked at her, confused.

"Why hasn't anything happened-"

Her words were cut off by a startled cry of pain. Her hands flew to her head and she dropped to one knee as her mind was flooded with countless memories. Instantly, she couldn't see, couldn't hear, couldn't feel her sister's or her mother's comforting touch. She was lost in her own past, fighting to remember the present as the past threatened to overwhelm it.

_A little girl was lost in the woods, scared and calling out for her sister. Her dress was dirty, and she had fallen several times. She heard movement in the bushes behind her, and she turned quickly, terrified. Out of the bushes stepped a person like no one she had ever seen. He looked like a man, but he was very hairy, almost furry. His hair and mouth made him look like a lion. He scared the girl, and she backed up slowly. He frowned, cocking his head, and spoke haltingly._

"_Little girl…princess. Princess scared. Not be scared. Raw not hurt princess." He reached out a gloved hand carefully, and she took it, somehow knowing that he was sincere._

"_Why princess scared?" he asked curiously._

"_I'm lost," she whimpered. "I can't find Az, and I don' know where the Palace is. The woods're too big." She started crying._

_The furry man wiped her tears tenderly. "Raw help princess. Come."_

_He led the little girl through the woods until she could see light ahead, and then they were standing on the Palace lawns. In the distance, the queen was frantically searching the grounds. With a happy shout, the little girl ran to her, leaving the furry man to melt back into the woods, unseen. _

_He never learned her name._

"_Amber! Amber! Come see!" The little girl ran laughing to a tall, thin man with untidy dark hair that resisted all attempts to tame it. She grabbed the sleeve of his long, fancy coat and tried to pull him after her. He chuckled and, gently disengaging her hands, turned her until she was facing him. He crouched down slightly to address her._

"_How many times do I have to tell you," he asked teasingly, "my name is Ambrose, not Amber." They both knew he didn't really mind. "So what's up, little Princess?" _

_She tugged on his sleeve again. "Come see!"_

_Smiling fondly at her, he followed her to her room, where she proudly showed him a painting she had completed earlier that day. It showed three figures, the two on the outside much taller than the one whose hands they held. They were sitting on a hanging swing under a pavilion. The painting held all the charm and love of any four-year-old's picture._

"_It's me an' you an' Az, Amber, on Mommy's swing, can you see? It's my two favoritest people in the whole world! I wanted to show you right when I did it, but Mommy said you was doin' inventy-ing in your lab-astory." She hugged him happily, and he looked down at the little painting with tears in his eyes. He kissed the top of her head without a word._

_And suddenly she was older, five maybe, and she was meeting one of the OZ's best Tin Men. She approached him shyly, as he stood talking to her mother, slightly overawed by his weather-beaten coat and hat and his tough look and his gun. She liked his eyes, though. They were blue like hers, and they held a kindness that belied the man's appearance. He heard her behind him and turned to look down on her. He crouched and tipped his hat to her. "And who might you be, kiddo?" _

_His voice was quiet, and she liked that. She decided that this was a nice man. "I'm DG," she told him, her natural boldness overcoming her shyness. "What's your name? My mommy says Tin Men aren't really scary like they look. Are you scary?"_

_He grinned. "Well, I suppose I can be scary, but only to the bad guys. My name's Wyatt Cain, little lady. I'm mighty pleased to meet you."_

"_Yeah," she said. "Me too." Looking past him to the queen, she asked "Mommy? You said when I get big I'm gonna have a Tin Man to watch over me an' keep me safe. Can I have Mr. Cain, please?" Her wide-eyed seriousness had her mother and Cain chuckling gently. _

"_You'll have to ask Mr. Cain that, angel." Her mother said._

_DG looked up at the Tin Man, who had stood up again. He ruffled her hair and said "Sure, kiddo. I'll be your Tin Man, when you get bigger. I'll be your personal protector. I promise." He set his hat on her head, and it slipped over her eyes. She giggled, and he smiled. _

_And then it was later that year, and the little girl was trapped in a small, dark space and was crying. She had been there a long time, and she was very scared. After another long time, she heard noises and the box she was in was lifted out of the ground and hands-her mother's hands- lifted her out. _

_She heard urgent voices. "Quickly, before anyone sees us." "Remember to re-close that grave." "Thank heaven she didn't pass out in the coffin"_

_Without a pause, her mother led her to a pair of smiling people._

"_These are Hank and Emily, angel," her mother said. "They're going to look after you for a while, ok?" _

_The girl was confused. "But where are we going, Mommy?"_

_Her mother smiled sadly. "You have to leave the OZ for now, sweetheart. But you'll be safe, I promise. These people will watch over you."_

"_But I want you and Daddy to come! And Mr. Cain! Why are you sending me by myself? I'm scared. And I miss Az. Az like she was before she fell." Her face held more grief than any young child's should._

_Her mother sniffed and hugged her daughter. "I'm so sorry, my angel There's no time to explain. You must go." She stepped back and allowed the people behind her to approach._

_Her father hugged her hard, told her to make him proud, and then walked away from her, trying not to cry._

_Ambrose was next. He was crying. "Looks like you've gotta leave, doll. I sure wish I could come with ya."_

_The little girl wiped his tears with a clumsy hand. "I'm gonna miss you, Amber," she whispered._

_He smiled, sadly. "I know, Princess. I won't forget you. Ever." He walked back to the palace slowly._

_Finally, the last person approached her- "her" Tin Man, Cain. He knelt in front of her._

"_Are you coming, Mr. Cain? You promised you'd always be there."_

"_I can't kiddo. I'm sorry, but I have to stay here. You stay brave, ok, kiddo? I'll see you again, down the road. I swear it." He got up quickly and turned away. _

_Her mother walked up again, and, placing her hand on the girl's forehead, sealed away her memories, in hopes of saving her. "Until you return, I love you," she whispered to her daughter's prone form. Then she, too left._

All these images, and hundreds of thousands of others, crashed through DG's mind, totally overloading her. She crouched, shuddering as five years' worth of memories made themselves known, all at once. Gradually, she became aware of her mother beside her, holding her and stroking her hair. Her sister, on the other side, still held her hand. She sat up slowly, feeling shaken and dazed.

"I knew them all? I mean, I knew Cain? And I'd met Raw? Though I guess he didn't know that…" Her voice trailed off as she realized she was crying. She was completely drained, and the strain of suddenly recovering all of her memories was almost too much for her.

A long, thin hand wiped away her tears, and she was suddenly aware of Glitch's presence behind her. She hadn't known he'd come in. Then again, she hadn't known much for the past….how long _had _it been?

The room was cloaked in shadow now, a stark and, for DG, sudden contrast to the bright, fully lit room she had first entered. She must have been on the floor for several hours at least, as well as her mother and sister, if they'd stayed the whole time.

She turned her head to smile tiredly at Glitch, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "Hi, Amber."

He looked startled for a moment before answering automatically, "What's up, little Princess?" He paused for a moment, then his face lit up with a huge, goofy smile. "Hey! I remembered your old name for me!" Then he looked confused. "Didn't I? I thought I remembered something…oh, well. Glitching again, I suppose."

"You're right," she assured him. "I used to call you Amber. I showed you a painting once, do you remember?"

He frowned. "I…I think…I don't…..Oh! Wait!" He ran out of the room abruptly, skidding into the doorjamb on his way out. DG had to chuckle.

Her mother, still holding DG half on her lap, smoothed her hair back. "How are you feeling, dear heart?"

She took a deep breath. "I'm all right now, I think. But why didn't anyone tell me I knew Cain when I was little?"

"We thought it best to let you discover as much as you could on your own," Anne explained. "We thought it would be easier to readjust to life here if you were left to remember at your own pace."

Azkadelia laughed. "Well, _that _plan didn't count on DG's stubborn impatience, now did it?"

The other two had to laugh as well, because it was so true.

Glitch chose this moment to slip back into the room- literally-and caught himself before he crushed the object he was holding in his hands.

He showed DG. "See? I knew I remembered something! I had it in my room."

The three women stared in awe at the thing Glitch held. DG was the first to move. She reached out a trembling finger and lightly stroked the old, somewhat yellowed paper of a child's painting.

This one didn't turn out the way I expected, so I'd really like reviews.


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